Cash-register.



G. & M. MACBYETH.

} CASH REGISTER APPLiCATlON FILED OCT. I2. 1916.

1 ,272,977. Patented July 16, 1918.

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G. & M. MACBETH.

CASH REGiSTER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12.1916.

Patented July 16, 1918.

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G. & M. MACBETH.

CASH REGISTERx APPLICATION FILED OCT. I2. 1916.

1,272,977. Patented July'l 6, 1918.

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G. & M. MACBETH.

CASH REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12, 1915 1 ,272,977. Patentedluly 16, 1918.

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GEORGE MACBETI-I AND MALCOLM MACBETH, 0F LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

CASH-REGISTER.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Original application filed. January 8, 1915, Serial No. 1,263. Dividedand this application filed October 12, 1.916. Serial No. 125,244;.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEO GE MxoBnrH andMALCOLM MA BETH, subjects of the King of England, residing at elStreatham avenue, Sefton Park, Liverpool, in the county ofLancaster,England, have invented new and useful Improvements in orConnected with CaslnRegist-ers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has reference to apparatus used in connection with theselling of goods and the indicating and recording of cash received forsame, including the indicating to the purchaser the sum paid to, andreceived by the seller, such apparatus being generally called cashregisters; and the type to whichthe apparatus and invention speciallyrelates, is that wherein the keys or like parts are moved in by hand,and operate mechanisms for unlocking the hand lever and for unlockingand releasing a rectilin early movable differential member, which movesat right angles to the mechanism, and is freed thereby; this applicationbeing a division of our U. S. application filed Jan. 8/15, Serial No.1263.

Under this invention, the value keys operate directly upon, that is,make cont-act with, a device, which is adapted to lock and release thedifferential member, which in the present case isin the form of a gateor frame provided with angular parts which make contact with pressed inor-operated amount or value keys, and control the extent of movement ofthe gate; thegate being adapted to move in a line transverse to therows. of keys with which each angular part is adapted to co-act.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, in connection withwhich it will be described; while the features which are claimed asnovel, are set out in the claiming clauses concluding the specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a cross section showing the machine; Fig. 2is a front view, and Fig. 3 is a plan in section. Figs. l, 5,- and 6 aredetail views of the lower part of Fig. 1.

Referring to the, drawings, 1 are "the keys, constituting the primaryhand operatedparts of the machine; and in the case shown, the keys havea movement in the horizontal plane, and are arranged in two sets, one oneach side of the center inaplurality of rows. 2 is a hand actuated partor lever which coacts with the keys 1 in using the machine and whichperforms the various functions hereinafter described.

The handle or lever 2 is disposed in the center of the machine, and isfixed on, a

transverse spindle 3 supported at its ends 11 above and near the shaft9, supported in the inner frame parts 5,.and carrying the mechanismsconnected with the locking and releasing of various parts.

The keys 1, that is the spindle parts of them are supportedby plates 13fastened on outwardly projecting parts l l on the bracket 15 (Fig. 3),which are fixed by studs 1? on to transverse horizontal members 16,connecting the frames i and 5 together, and preferably cast with studs.

*ach set of keys 1 operates in connection with a gate device 20, therebeing one gate for each set of keys. Each gate includes side framemembers and diagonally arranged cross bars 22, the side frame membershaving bosses 2i slidably mounted on guide-rods The gate is thussupported for vertical movement and is provided with upwardly extendingrack-bars, which in the vertical movement of the gate, operate thedrums, as hereinafter described.

Any of the keys 1 of one set, when moved in by hand, acts upon aswinging locking and releasing means, consisting of horizontal plates 26fixed on vertical plates 27, which carry at their upper ends, a plate28, which operates in connection with the gate so far as verticalmovement of it is concerned, and constitutes the vertical locking means.Namely, when a key is operated, it acts upon one of the bars 26 or 28,as the case may be, and presses this locking device or means back, andso moves the upper plate 28 back, and out of the way; that is, out ofthe plane of the upper bar 22 of the gate, which it normally standsabove. One of the locking and releasing means is provided for each gate,and for each set of keys.

The plates 26, 28 and the bars 27, constitute a species of swingingframe, which is supported from a fixed part of the anachine bysuspension links 29, so that 1t is capable of being moved horizontally;and when it is so moved by a key, so that the bar 28 is moved away backout of the plane of a gate bar 22, it allows it to move up, which iseffected by a spring 30, as hereinafter described; and according towhich key is moved in, so will be permitted the degree of movementvertically of the gate, and this is governed by the diagonal inclinedbars 22 of the gate.

Thus, according to which key is moved into the path of the diagonal gatebars 22, so will be the upward amount of movement of the gate; thedistance from the axes of the keys of the different rows, and the activeedges of the difi'erent diagonal bars 22 vertically, being different inthe rows of keys, startingat the smallest at one end of the top row, andfinishing with the largest at the opposite end of the lowermost row.

The machine shown is adapted for'indt eating two denominations of money;and has a fac-simile arrangement, and duplication of key parts, andgate. device on each side of the machine.

One, say the right hand set of keys, and gate device, may be used foroperating the cents indicating mechanism; and the other set foroperating in connection withthe dollars indicating mechanism.

The gate, when operated, and after each actuation, is moved down to itsnormal or zero position (shown in the drawings) by the hand actuatedpart or lever 2, and is held there by the plate 28 of the swinging frame26, 27, by its lower edge standing above the upper edge of the upperdiagonal gate bar 22.

By this form and arrangement of gate device, no matter what key 1 isactuated, it acts upon a part of the swinging frame (26, 27, 28) andfrees the gate, so that it can rise vertically; the swinging frametherefore constituting a common locking and releasing device of thegate.

The swinging frame 26, 27, 28 is supported by the links 29, throughhorizontal backwardly projecting bars 32 fixed to the back of the frame,which their lower ends are hinged to. 1

Connected with the locking and releasing frame device 26, 27, 28 thereis an arm or bar 3.3, the inner end of which is bifurcated or in theform of a fork, which is supported 36 fixed on the transverse shaft 11,and normally pressed against by a spring 37, whlch pulls on a projectingarm or lever 38 connected with one of the arms 36. These arms 36 are forthe purpose of operating the money indicating cents and dollars drums 39and 40 Fig. 2; namely, one of the arms 36, the left hand one, acts upona small bell-crank lever 41, which through a link 42 acts on an arm 43,fixed on a transverse shaft 44, on which are fixed two holding andreleasing pawls 45, one of which acts on a ratchet wheel 46, fixed on asleeve 47, loosely mounted on the shaft 10, to which the two insidedollar drums 40 are fixed.

The other, namely, the right hand holding and releasing pawl 45, worksin connection with a ratchet wheel 50, fixed on the spindle 10, to whichthe two outer cents drums 39 are fixed; so that these holding andreleasing pawls 45, being both fixed on and moving with the shaft 44,move into and out of engagement with the two ratchet wheels 46 and 50together.

hen therefore, the bell crank lever 41 is moved (which takes placewhenever a key is pressed in) the pawls 45 will be removed from theratchet wheels 46 and 50, and free all the money indicating drums, twoof which will indicate the data on them from the front; while the othertwo will indicate from the back.

The cents and dollars drums 39, 40, are themselves rotated when themachine is used, by upwardly projecting parts 53 on the gates 20, havingon the upper end of each a toothed rack, which engages with a toothedpinion 54, formed on a sleeve 54*. One of these pinions 54, and itssleeve 54*, namely, that on the lefthand side, is loosely mounted on thesleeve 47 surrounding the spindle 10; and to the sleeve 47 the drums 40(to which the ratchet wheel 46, is fixed) is fixed. On the sleeve 54 isan arm 55, having a bent over end 55*, which operates on an arm 62,loosely mounted on the sleeve 47 and working between two projections onthe face of the wheel 46, against which it lies.

A coil spring (not shown in the drawings) W is connected at one end withthe sleeve 54*, around which it is wound, and at the other end to a partof the loose arm 62. The arm 62 has a certain amount of free movementbetween the stops, which is neccssar for the actuating of the mechanism.In action when the wheel 54 is turned by the rack 53, the ratchet wheel46 of the two drums 40 will be revolved. The parts are so arranged, thatwhen after the drums 40 have been moved by the racks 53 to a givenposition, they will be returned through the strain in the springs, whenthe holding pawl a5 is removed from the ratchet wheel 4:6.

The other pinion 54 is also fixed on a sleeve 54E as the former, and hasan arm which operates the loose arm 62, working in connection with theratchet wheel 50. and a sprin similarly as in the left hand drummechanism.

The right hand drum 39 is fixed to the ratchet wheel 50, and to thespindle 10; and the left hand drum 39 is also fixed to the spindle, sothat when this right hand mechanism is operated, the left hand drum 39moves too.

The case of the machinenot shown within which the whole of the partswill be placed and inelosed, has windows in it at the front and back sayin the same horizontal plane as the spindle 10, through which the dataon the drums 39, 4L0, will show.

It is to be noted that while the above described gate 20 has beenspecified as being re leased, and moves upward by a spring 30, it doesnot do so at the mere releasing of the gate by the swinging frame (26,27 28) but is moved only by the spring when the controlling mechanismactuated by the handle 2, is operated. It is also to be noted that whilein the case shown and described the gate is moved upward by means of aweight, as a modification it may be arranged to move downward by its ownweight.

With re ard to the handle 2,this is only moved after the keys 1 havebeen actuated, and it performs various functions hereinafter described;and when the machine is in the normal condition, the handle is engagedand held by a catch or detent 70, Fig. 1. loosely mounted on the shaft11; its end engaging with the catch 71 on the handle. But when a key ispressed in, and the releas ing and locking frame 26, 27,28 and partsabove described, are actuated, the catch is actuated, and frees the handoperated lever 2.

In the construction shown, this freeing action is effected by an arm 72fixed on the shaft 11, which acts on the arm of the catch 70 (through abell crank trigger 73 hereinafter described) and operates it; the shaft11 being as stated, actuated, that is, partially rotated, when the keyis moved in.

The hand actuated part or lever 2 is now free to be moved.

Simultaneously, with the movement of the catch 70, by the arm 72 thetrigger 73 will be moved. This trigger acts as a detent to and works inconnection with two rack bars 74, one on each side of the machine, whichoperate in connectionwith the gate 20, so that when the trigger 73 isactuated just described, it moves out of the path of and frees the rack.and sothe gate 20which connected with the rack 74 by bars 7 5, andslotted ends 76 on them through whichpins '77 pass through the slotsisfreed, and can then be moved up by the spring 30 when the handle 2 isactuated, but not before.

lVith reference to the means of actuating he gate as above described,this is effected through the spring 30, but this spring can only act onthe gate when it freed, it being normally unable to act by parts,hereinafter described, between it and the gate, which, hold it down inits lowermost position.

This holding means consists of a weight 80 fixed on to the transverseshaft 8, on the back of the machine, and having-a forwardly projectingpart 86, connected by the link 81 at its front end, with the projectionpart 82, of or connected with the hand lever 2. The weight 80, of coursewill exert greater force than the spring 30.

The spring 30 is connected to a lever 83 loosely mounted on the shaft 8,and extending toward the front of the machine, where it is connected bya link 84 with the bottom part 85 of the gate 20; and the weight 80rests and acts on the lever 83 through an adjustable pin 87, on the endof which the dotted shaded part- (see Fig. 1) of the weight 80 rests.Thus when the weight 80 is resting on this pin 87, it keeps the lever 83down. and the spring 30 in tension, and also holds the gate 20 down; butwhen the lever 2 is pulled forward, the weight 80 will be lifted off thepin 87, and so the lever 83, and gate 20 will be freed, and the spring30 can lift them up.

The movement of the weight 80 by the hand lever 2 will be much greaterthan the upward movement of the gate 20 and lever 83; but this extramovement does not aflect the gates action.

The function and effect of the weight 80 is to govern or regulate theupward move ment of the gate 20.

lVith regard to the mode of operating the hand lever 2, it is the dutyof the user to move it to its full stroke or extent.

Thus in all cases, when the gate reaches the end of its rip-stroke,whether av pon tion of the total proper stroke or the whole of it, theweight 80 moves away from the spring pressed arm 83, whose motion upward is limited through the limited movement of the gate.

In the latter portion of the outward stroke of the hand lever 2, a parton it, namely the boss of the double bell crank levers arranged on eachside. of and pivoted on the part 82, strikes the lower end of theprojecting bar ,of the swing frame 26, 27, 28, and lifts it, and solifts the projection above the end of the arm 36, so thatthe spring 37acting on the arm38, can turn the shaft 11. and so cause the arm 72 tomove down; the catch 70 thereby being free to move down also into theengaging position.

In this movement of the arm 7 2, it moves away from the triggerorJdctent 73, the lowerend of which will'be pressed against the face ofthe rack bar 7 1, so that when this rack moves down till the upper endof the rack'proper is below the level of the lower end of the trigger73, it-the trigger-can be moved by a spring 91 over to the locking orholding position as seen in Fig. 1; whereupon the upper arm of thedetent 73 will come on to the nose of the lever 72, when the catch 70can drop down into the engaging position.

By this outward movement of the hand lever 2 as stated, the gate 20 willhave been freed so as to be able to rise; and when this latter actiontakes place, the dollars and cents drums 40 and 39, will be actuated bythe racks 53.

of the hand lever 2. In the first position of this return stroke, thelower outer end of the double hinged trigger 90 (which is normallypulled up by a spring 93) acts upon the type wheel actuating rack parts7 1; namely, this trigger acts on a block 94: on each of the bottoms ofthe rack bars 74, and moves these rack bars down; and in this operationthe weight 80 will also have been lowered by the lever 2, and will havecome in contact with the pin 87, on the arm 83, and so moved it down;and as this arm or lever 83 moves down, the gate 20 is pulled down byit. So the rack bars, and the gate, move down together, but theirmovement is effected by independent means. 7 The lowermost position ofthe lever 83 is governed by a strop 95 on the bottom of the machine,with which it comes in contact.

Near the end of the stroke of the lever 2, the trigger 90 will move offthe blocks 94:, and out of their paths, whereupon the rack bars 7 1 canbe moved by the springs 78, so'

that the top of the racks will come on to the end of the trigger 73.

The inner end of the cash drawer of the register (not shown) will lie inthe base of the frame of the machine, immediately under the shaft 3, andwill come up to the vertical part 97 of the frame, having on its end aneye or engagin part in the well known way, which is a apted to engagewith the end of the hook lever 98 hinged to the frame, and normallypulled by a spring 99.

In and by the latter portion of the stroke of the hand lever 2 thiscatch 98 is depressed, and frees a drawer, this being effected by aprojection (not shown in the drawings) on the lever 98 with which one ofthe tappets 90 comes in contact; and it slips off same similarly as thetappet lever 90 slips off the blocks 94 of the rackbars 74:.

Also toward the latter portion of the stroke of the lever 2, a pin 102on the weight other up, to the position shown in Fig. 1,

so as to expose the back and front numerals of the numeral drums 39, 40.During this action the ratchet wheel 57 will click over the teeth of theholding pawl 63, which it can do through the give of the spring 65.

Thus when this action last described takes place, and when the returnmovement and operation of the hand lever is nearly completed, the amountof the transaction will be indicated by the cash drums, both at thefront and the back of the machine.

Regarding the actuating keys, they have locking and interlockingarrangements, by which those actuated will have been held in position towhich they were moved, up to this point of the cycle of operations ofthe machine and they are subsequently to this time, adapted to bereleased.

The other keys will also be locked by the interlocking mechanism intheir outer and stationary positions, and must therefore now be freed.

This freeing action is also adapted to be effected during the lastportion of the stroke of the hand lever 2, but it must be after the gateis fully drawn down, and held by the weight 80.

The interlocking arrangement shown in the drawings, comprises continuoushinged double pawls 110, hinged at their ends to stationary bars 111,fixed on the frame parts 1 1; and they are normally pulled to theposition shown in Fig. 1, by a spring 112, fixed at oneend to a bar 111,and at the other end to vertical movable bars 113, which are con nectedto the pawls 11 1 by pins on the adjacent ends of each of the severalcontinuous pawls, which pass through the bars. Thus by the spring 112,all the pawls normally, will be held in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The bars 113 of the set of keys, on each side of the machine, areconnected together by a pin 117.

' The pawls are of a continuous plate form, with a continuous catch orhook on each end, of the shape seen in Fig. 1. When a key 1 is pushedin, a curved cam shaped part 115, comes in contact with the pawl catch110, and moves it up about its hinge; and when the key has been pressedin a certain amount, the front catch of the pawl 110 passes the end ofthis cam surface, and the catch is pulled up or tilted by the spring112, and the pawl catch 110, falls into the notch 116, and so locks thekey. The key so actuated remains in this locked position untilpractically the end of the inward or return stroke of the hand lever 2.Also by the pressing in of a key 1, the back catches of the pawls 110will move into the gaps 121 of the spindles of the keys, which have notbeen actuated, and locks them.

In this action a hook 120 at the side of the lever-2, comes in contactwith the catch 121 on a bar 122, connected at its upper end to the pin117 and this catch 120 at the end of the stroke of the lever, engagesthe hook 121 momentarily, and pulls the rods 113 down, and so trips thefront catches of the pawls 110 up, so as to be clear of the notches 116.

At this stage the bar 122 is knocked out of engagement with the catch120 by the adjustable tappet device 123 on the handle 2; and then thebars 113 are free to be moved up by the spring 112, and this takesplace; and so the tumbler pawls 110 are reversed, and the key which waspressed in can move out, all those keys which have not been used, andhave been held and locked by the back catch ends of the tumbler pawls110 engaging with the back gaps 12% of the keys are freed.

lVhen the key that was pressed in presses by the cam surface 115, thefront end of its pawl 110, this act, through the construction andarrangement described, causes all the back catches of the pawls to fallinto gaps 124 in all the other key spindles.

lVhen this takes place, by the keys being now moved to their outerpositions, the lockmg and releasing swinging frame 26, 27 28, is enabledto swing in, and move forward over the uppermost bar 22, of the gate 20and so lock the gate in its normal position vertically; while beforethis it was held, and in the position in which the gate is unlocked.

What is claimed is 1. In a cash register, a plurality of longitudinallymovable keys, cam parts on each key, a unitary locking and releasingpawl device common to all said keys and cam parts and operable by any ofsaid cam parts, said keys having parts to be engaged and disengaged bysaid pawl device.

2. I11 a cash register a plurality of longitudinally movable keys, camparts 011 each, a unitary locking and releasing pawl device common toall said keys and cam parts, and operated by any of said cam parts;parts on the keys to be engaged and disengaged by the said pawl device,a hand operated part for operating the register, and a tappet deviceoperated by said hand actuated part to move the pawl device out ofengagement with a key which has been pressed inward, and free the keyswhich have not been pressed in; substantially as set forth.

3. In a cash register a plurality of longitudinally movable keys, camparts on each, a unitary locking and releasing pawl device common to allsaid keys and cam parts, and having a front catch and a back catch,operated by any of said cam parts; parts on the keys to be engaged anddisengaged by the said pawl device; a spring to operate the pawl devicesin one direction; the cam part being adapted to act on the pawl when thekey is pushed in a certain amount, to cause the front catch of the pawlwhich has passed the end of the cam surfaces to engage with a locking ordetent part on the key, and lock it; substantially as set forth.

4. In a cash register a plurality of longitudinally movable keys, camparts on each, a locking and releasing pawl device common to all saidkeys and cam parts, to be operated by any of said cam parts; parts onthe keys adapted to be engaged and disengaged by the said pawl device; aspring to operate the pawl devices in one direction; the campart beingadapted to act on the pawl when the key is pushed in; a certain amountto cause the front catch of the pawl which has passed the end of the camsur faces to engage with a looking or detent part on the key, and lockit, and also to move the back catches of the pawls into locking ordetent parts at the opposite side of the cam surfaces to the frontlocking or detent part so as to lock the keys not actuated;substantially as set forth.

5. In a. cash register a. plurality of longitudinally movable keys; camsurfaces; double detent pawls; detent recesses or parts, respectively,on the front and back ends of the cam surfaces; means connecting thepawls together and to the different sets of keys; means for rocking thepawls upon their pivots altogether; a hand actuated part for actuatingthe machine, and a tappet device operated by a hand actuated part, foractuating said pawl moving means; a detent for holding the pawls in theback engaging parts 12st of the keys, said detent part being connectedwith all the pawls of the other sets of keys; and said tappet operatedby the hand actuated part of the machinebeing adapted to free saiddetent, and effect the movement of the pawls out of engagement with theback notches or parts; substantially as set forth.

6. In a cash register, a plurality of longitudinally movable keys, alocking device mounted above all of said keys and comprising. a platehaving depending catches, means on each key whereby tooperate the platein one direction in the operative movement of the key, each key beingformed to be engaged by one of said catches at the limit of movement ofthe plate under the operation of such means.

7. In a cash register, a plurality of longitudinally movable keys, alocking device mounted above all of said keys and comprisu A I 4' mg aplate having depending catches, means In testnnony whereof We havesigned our 10 on each key whereby to operate the plate in names to thisspeclfica-tlon in the presence one direction in the operative movementof of two subscribing Witnesses. the key, each key being formed 'Wlllllnotches GEORGE MAGBETH to be engaged by one of said catches When MALCOLMMAOBETH the keys are in normal position and With notches to be engagedby the other of said Witnesses:

catches when the key has been moved to SOMERVILLE GooDALL, operativeposition. 7 PERCY HUBBARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

washington n. 6.?

